Seahawks rookie running back Rawls fills in for injured Lynch

SEATTLE — He made a late arrival and then an early exit, and his impact in between was minimal.

A tight calf muscle at the outset and later an injured hamstring muscle limited running back Marshawn Lynch in Sunday’s 26-0 victory over Chicago at CenturyLink Field. But if that was the bad news, the good news was the play of backup Thomas Rawls, a rookie from Central Michigan who was Seattle’s leading rusher with 104 yards on 16 carries.

“I thought it was really great to see Thomas Rawls get going,” said Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. “He ran really hard and really tough and gave us a real kind of personality about the way we like to run the football.”

The Seahawks did not get a good feel for Rawls’ potential in the preseason, Carroll added, “but today it was really evident that he could be a factor and help us out.”

As for Lynch, he stayed in the locker room early in the game trying to get his legs loose.

“He has a sequence he goes through to get ready to go,” Carroll explained. “It’s happened before where he just can’t get in rhythm and get right. … He just couldn’t get ready.”

Lynch, who had 114 yards on 33 carries in season-opening games at St. Louis and Green Bay, did not appear on the field until midway through the first quarter. He walked from the locker room to the bench while wearing a full-length hooded team parka.

Minutes later he was on the field for Seattle’s third offensive series, gaining 8 yards on his first carry and 5 yards on the next. Through the rest of the first half he had three more carries for a net gain of 1 yard, and one reception that picked up 9 yards.

Carroll was unsure if Lynch’s injury would be an issue for Seattle’s game next Monday night against the Detroit Lions. “We checked it all out and there is nothing to be alarmed by, so we’ll just have to wait and see,” he said.

Other injuries

In addition to Lynch, the Seahawks lost one other player during the game when defensive tackle Brandon Mebane departed in the first quarter because of a groin injury. Carroll said he did not know the severity of the injury.

Seattle had three players not play because of injury — tight end Luke Willson (back spasms), cornerback Tharold Simon (toe) and safety Steven Terrell (hip).

Willson had been listed as questionable and Carroll said Willson could have played, but the team decided to play it safe.

Big call

The Seahawks seemed to get a big break early in the second quarter when a short Chicago punt appeared to bounce off the leg of Seattle’s Brock Coyle before bouncing toward the sideline where it was grabbed by Bears defensive back Sherrick McManis.

The officials initially awarded the ball to Seattle, but Chicago challenged the ruling and the officials took a long look at the replay before announcing “the call on the field stands.” Translated, it means the replay was inconclusive; otherwise the referee would have said “the call on the field is confirmed.”

Had the call been overturned, Chicago would have had a first down at the Seattle 13.

After the game, Coyle was vague when asked if the ball had touched him. “I don’t know, man,” he said. “I was just playing and blocking my guy.”

Bennett reunion

Sunday’s game was a reunion for Seattle defensive tackle Michael Bennett and his younger brother (by one year), Chicago tight end Martellus Bennett.

The two Bennetts chatted on the field at times during the game, including a prolonged conversation during a second-half timeout. Afterward they spoke on the field for several minutes, and were joined by some teammates with a few of the players exchanging jerseys.

As for the game’s outcome, “Big brother always wins, just like the government,” said Michael Bennett.

Gatorade bath

With the outcome decided in the late minutes, some Seattle players doused first-year defensive coordinator Kris Richard with celebratory Gatorade.

Everyone on the sideline seemed to enjoy the drenching, including the head coach. “They’re really excited about (Richard) leading this defense, and he’s done a fantastic job of taking over,” Carroll said. “They love the guy … so it was a good moment.”

Seahawks honor legends

During a halftime ceremony, the Seahawks honored many of the top players from their first 40 seasons. Among the dozens of players on hand were eight members of the team’s Ring of Honor _ Walter Jones, Cortez Kennedy, Jim Zorn, Steve Largent, Jacob Green, Curt Warner, Kenny Easley and Dave Krieg.